15 pct of US agencies report Kaspersky software on networks

About 15 percent of U.S. federal agencies have reported some trace of Moscow-based Kaspersky Lab software on their systems, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official told Congress on Tuesday.

Jeanette Manfra, assistant secretary for cyber security at DHS, told a U.S. House of Representatives panel that 94 percent of agencies had responded to a directive ordering them to survey their networks to identify any use of Kaspersky Lab products.

The administration of President Donald Trump in September ordered civilian U.S. agencies to remove Kaspersky Lab from their networks, amid concern the Moscow-based cyber security firm was vulnerable to Kremlin influence and that using its anti-virus software could jeopardize national security.

Kaspersky Lab has repeatedly denied the allegations.

The September order required civilian agencies to identify any use of Kaspersky Lab products within 30 days and to discontinue their use within 90 days.

Ninety-four of 102 federal agencies have reported to DHS on whether they have found the antivirus firm's software on their networks, Manfra said.

DHS is working with the remaining six "very small" agencies to assess their networks, Manfra said.

Kaspersky Lab provided a written response last Friday to the order banning their products from the U.S. government, Manfra said, but officials were still reviewing it.